BY JACOPO BARIGAZZI
The EU is ready to continue formal talks over Russia’s massive troop build-up along the Ukrainian border, the bloc said in a letter for Moscow, calling once again on the Kremlin to pull back its military.
The letter, a draft of which was seen by POLITICO, represents the EU’s collective response to a recent memo Russia sent to EU countries. It was signed by the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell.
“We remain gravely concerned about the current situation and firmly believe that tensions and disagreements must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” the EU leader writes. “We call on Russia to de-escalate and to reverse its military build-up in and around Ukraine, and in Belarus.”
The letter adds: “Together with our partners in NATO, we in the European Union are prepared to continue dialogue with Russia on ways to strengthen the security of all.”
The response is the latest move in a series of sprawling diplomatic talks and exchanges that have kicked into high gear after Russia piled more than 100,000 troops and heavy weaponry along the Ukrainian border, prompting fears of an imminent invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to pull back unless NATO and Western allies significantly scale back their military presence in Eastern Europe, making numerous demands that are considered nonstarters in the West. Specifically, Western leaders have flatly refused to offer Russia its desired guarantee that Ukraine will not join the NATO military alliance.
Still, diplomats on both sides have been making attempts in recent weeks to find areas of negotiation through a flurry of meetings and letter swaps.
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